Steve Rogers
"Weep for yourself, my man: You'll never be what is in your heart. Weep, little lion man: You're not as brave as you were at the start." Steve Rogers A struggling young artist, Steve Rogers leads a simple, hard life as a freelancer in the highly competitive New York market, striving to make a name for himself while holding on to outdated moral standards. In a world where capitalist competition has risen to outrageous levels, Steve insists on being honest and righteous. He hopes it'll all work out someday. Hopefully. Early Years Born on July 4, 1901 to workers Joseph and Sarah Rogers, Steve was orphaned early in a factory fire. Both his parents died in the accident, leaving their only child to be raised in a religious orphanage. Due to his many health issues, including asthma, rheumatic fever and heart problems, he was never adopted and grew in the shelter. There, in a special class sponsored by a famous charity foundation, he had his first contact with art - an instant passion which would grow even stronger in the following years. Despite not having been raised by proper parents, Steve had plenty of examples to build his character on. He was taught to be sincere, fair, brave in the face of danger, protective of those weaker than him, and unrelenting in his beliefs, lessons that he took to heart and would carry throughout his whole life. He left the shelter at the age of twelve, with nothing but his clothes and a recommendation letter to a local newspaper. Adult Years During the following years Steve took on many different jobs, from redactor to cashier to nurse, always struggling to balance his bills against his declining health, becoming ever more frustrated as he found out he would always be limited by his body. He could see children starving on the streets, elderly people being forced to work in factories, families being tossed out of their houses by ruthless landlords, and yet none of his efforts towards becoming someone that could effectively help them seemed to bear fruit. Through the years he applied many times for the police, the firefighters and the military, but was never accepted. And there came war. Steve was seventeen when conscription began, and was rejected because of his poor medical history, despite being eager to join the American army. He could only watch as boys younger than he was, some of them his friends, were sent overseas to fight for his country. He could only wave goodbye when his best friend was sent to the front lines, while he was left behind to pursue lesser objectives. Ironically, it was then that he had the first opportunity to work with his primary professional interest, art - one of his pieces was accepted in a public contest consisting of designing promotional campaign posters for the army, and Steve suddenly found himself being hired to draw and paint illustrations, posters and other similar projects. At that time, the strain of working on a day job and taking on various simultaneous commissions proved too much for his body and it suddenly gave in, resulting in a rushed admission into New York Hospital. Not having money to pay for medication and treatment, he was contacted by doctor Abraham Erskine, a brilliant medical scientist who offered to treat him with an experimental formula designed to boost a normal human's immunity and resistance to maximum levels. Steve agreed to take part in the experiment, which consisted in taking daily pills, adhering to a special diet some days of the week and undergoing regular weekly low-level radiation sessions. His health has improved gradually and noticeably since then, allowing him a fairly normal lifestyle. He has now quit his day job to become a full-time freelancer artist. Relationships Steve has one best friend, Bucky Barnes. Although he sometimes thinks he'd like to have a girlfriend - or a boyfriend, you never know -, he's currently too focused on his career to think about love. He figures it'll come to him, sooner or later, if it's supposed to. He also figures someone did something to him in a wild party at Stark Mansion, but will take that to his grave. Health Thanks to his current medication, many of his crippling health problems are now under control. He remains slimmer than average and unable to engage in heavy exercise, but can otherwise lead a normal life. Characteristics Gender: Male Height: 163 cm Weight: 49 kg Eyes: Blue Hair: Blond, short Noticeable physical traits: Small and thin In-game First appearance: 01. Religion: Christian, protestant Sexuality: Currently uncertain, previously virgin